In 2014, Alex Littlejohn, a convicted robber, was shot in the back by the police after he robbed a Family Dollar located in Cleveland, Ohio. Littlejohn was paralyzed when Officer Ron Myers shot him in the lower back after a scuffle. Officer Myers believed that Littlejohn was armed with a gun. Ultimately, Littlejohn pled guilty to burglary, safecracking, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. Some of those charges also involved a previous incident that involved Littlejohn. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Littlejohn Filed Lawsuit, City Asks Judge to Dismiss It
On April 30, 2015, Littlejohn filed a lawsuit against the City of Cleveland because of his paralysis. He alleged in his lawsuit that Officer Ron Myers and the City of Cleveland violated his civil rights, violated the Constitution, assaulted him, intentionally caused emotional distress, and was negligent in how the officers were trained. Littlejohn relied on a report from the DOJ that stated Cleveland’s police department has “systemic deficiencies.” In May of 2015, the City of Cleveland signed an agreement with the DOJ that would guide police reform and new accountability standards.
